Roberto Solozábal
{{short description|Spanish footballer}}
{{family name hatnote|Solozábal|Villanueva|lang=Spanish}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Roberto Solozábal
| image = Roberto Solozábal (2017).jpg
| caption = Solozábal in 2017
| fullname = Roberto Solozábal Villanueva
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|9|15|df=y}}
| birth_place = Madrid, Spain
| height = 1.80 m
| position = Centre-back
| currentclub =
| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Atlético Madrid
| years1 = 1988–1989 | clubs1 = Atlético Madrileño | caps1 = 28 | goals1 = 1
| years2 = 1989–1997 | clubs2 = Atlético Madrid | caps2 = 231 | goals2 = 3
| years3 = 1997–2000 | clubs3 = Betis | caps3 = 42 | goals3 = 0
| totalcaps = 301 | totalgoals = 4
| nationalyears1 = 1987–1988 | nationalteam1 = Spain U18 | nationalcaps1 = 8 | nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 1988–1989 | nationalteam2 = Spain U19 | nationalcaps2 = 2 | nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 1989–1990 | nationalteam3 = Spain U20 | nationalcaps3 = 5 | nationalgoals3 = 0
| nationalyears4 = 1989–1991 | nationalteam4 = Spain U21 | nationalcaps4 = 4 | nationalgoals4 = 0
| nationalyears5 = 1991–1992 | nationalteam5 = Spain U23 | nationalcaps5 = 12 | nationalgoals5 = 1
| nationalyears6 = 1991–1993 | nationalteam6 = Spain | nationalcaps6 = 12 | nationalgoals6 = 0
}}
{{MedalTop}}
{{MedalCountry|{{flagu|Spain}}}}
{{MedalSport|Men's Football}}
{{MedalGold|1992 Barcelona|Team Competition}}
{{MedalBottom}}
Roberto Solozábal Villanueva (born 15 September 1969) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a central defender.
He appeared in 273 La Liga games over 11 seasons, representing in the competition Atlético Madrid and Betis.{{cite web|url=https://www.relevo.com/juegos-olimpicos/ordago-solozabal-permitio-futbol-desfilara-20240727125527-nt.html|title=Cuando un órdago de Solozábal permitió que el fútbol desfilara en Barcelona '92 y enamoró a Guardiola: "Me despertó del letargo"|trans-title=When a Solozábal ultimatum enabled football to parade at Barcelona '92 and made Guardiola fall in love: "It made me snap out of my lethargy"|publisher=Relevo|language=Spanish|date=27 July 2024|accessdate=2 March 2025}}
Club career
=Atlético Madrid=
A product of local Atlético Madrid's youth system, Madrid-born Solozábal represented the first team from 1989 to 1997, his debut being on 2 September in a 3–1 away win against Valencia CF (90 minutes played). Other than his first season – ten appearances – he never played less than 18 La Liga games during his eight-year spell.
During the 1995–96 campaign, Solózabal formed a solid centre-back partnership with another Colchonero youth graduate, Juan Manuel López, as the capital side achieved an historic double, with the former featuring in 40 league matches.{{cite news|url=https://as.com/futbol/2020/05/23/album/1590263131_019047.html|title=Los 23 protagonistas del doblete del Atlético|trans-title=The 23 protagonists of Atlético's double|publisher=Diario AS|language=Spanish|date=23 May 2020|accessdate=2 March 2025}}
=Betis=
After leaving Atlético, Solozábal signed with Real Betis.[http://elpais.com/diario/1997/07/23/deportes/869608811_850215.html Solozábal ya es futbolista del Betis (Solozábal is already a Betis footballer)]; El País, 23 July 1997 (in Spanish) In his last season, where the Andalusian club was relegated and he was ousted from the squad for allegedly organising a riot, he ultimately took it to court for lack of payment in a suit which lasted several years, with the player having already retired.[http://elpais.com/diario/2000/09/08/deportes/968364010_850215.html El Betis despide a Solozábal un mes después del motín del equipo (Betis fire Solozábal one month after team riot)]; El País, 8 September 2000 (in Spanish)[http://elpais.com/diario/2001/02/22/deportes/982796414_850215.html Un juez da la razón al Betis ante Solozábal (Judge rules in favour of Betis against Solozábal)]; El País, 22 February 2001 (in Spanish)
International career
Solozábal was captain of the Spanish side that won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona,{{cite web|url=http://blogs.antena3.com/el-blog-de-miss-forty/roja-1992-nuestra-medalla-oro-olimpica_2012070300083.html|title=La Roja de 1992, nuestra medalla de oro Olímpica|trans-title=1992's La Roja, our Olympic gold medal|publisher=Antena 3|language=Spanish|date=3 July 2012|accessdate=13 July 2017}} and also earned 12 full caps in two years, the first coming on 17 April 1991 in a 0–2 friendly loss to Romania, in Cáceres.[http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1991/04/18/pagina-22/1233096/pdf.html De nuevo vencidos y sin gloria (Again beaten hopelessly)]; Mundo Deportivo, 18 April 1991 (in Spanish)
Personal life
Solozábal's second son Hugo was also a professional footballer. The oldest, Iker (born 2001), was a triathlete.{{cite news|url=https://www.marca.com/en/football/international-football/2017/12/28/5a44e76d468aebf5538b458f.html|title=The children of former LaLiga stars who are following in their father's footsteps|publisher=Marca|date=28 December 2017|accessdate=4 December 2024}}{{cite news|url=https://as.com/futbol/primera/hugo-solozabal-adn-del-doblete-atletico-en-el-leganes-n/|title=Hugo Solozábal, ADN del doblete atlético en el Leganés|trans-title=Hugo Solozábal, Atlético double's DNA at Leganés|publisher=Diario AS|language=Spanish|date=18 October 2024|accessdate=2 March 2025}}
Honours
Atlético Madrid
- La Liga: 1995–96
- Copa del Rey: 1990–91, 1991–92, 1995–96{{cite news|url=https://www.20minutos.es/deportes/blogs/quefuede/que-fue-roberto-solozabal-leyenda-atletica-ahora-superatleta-5597660/|title=Qué fue de... Roberto Solozábal: leyenda atlética y ahora 'superatleta'|trans-title=What happened to... Roberto Solozábal: Atlético legend and now 'superathlete'|publisher=20 minutos|language=Spanish|date=15 October 2015|accessdate=2 March 2025}}
Spain U23
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{BDFutbol|2365}}
- {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130905195815/http://www.betisweb.com/realbetis.php?styleid=21&do=fichajug&id=425&name=Roberto-Solozabal-Villanueva|date=dmy|title=Betisweb stats and bio {{in lang|es}}}}
- {{NFT player|15214}}
- {{FIFA player|77916}}
- {{EU-Football.info|19695}}
{{Spain squad 1992 Summer Olympics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Solozabal, Roberto}}
Category:20th-century Spanish sportsmen
Category:Spanish men's footballers
Category:Footballers from Madrid
Category:Men's association football central defenders
Category:Segunda División B players
Category:Atlético Madrid B players
Category:Atlético Madrid footballers
Category:Spain men's youth international footballers
Category:Spain men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Spain men's under-23 international footballers
Category:Spain men's international footballers
Category:Footballers at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic footballers for Spain
Category:Olympic gold medalists for Spain